Blocked attachments in Outlook

To help protect your computer, Microsoft Outlook 2010 does not allow you to receive files of certain types (such as .exe files) as attachments, because of their potential for introducing a virus into your computer. Outlook blocks these files by default. See the section Attachment file types blocked in Outlook for a list of the file types blocked.

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Share your files safely

If you want to receive a file of a type that is blocked by Outlook, you can ask the sender to either make the file accessible without using Outlook, or make it less likely to be blocked by Outlook. Following are a few safe ways to share files with people you trust.

Use a shared server You might want to ask the sender to save the attachment to a server or an FTP site that you can access. This can include a secure network share server such as SharePoint. The sender can send you a link to the attachment on the server or FTP site. You can click the link to access the file and save it on your computer.

Use a file compression utility Using a compression utility, such as WinZip, creates a compressed archive file that has a different file name extension. Outlook does not recognize these file name extensions as potential threats. Therefore, it does not block the new attachment. Many third-party compression utilities are available.

Rename the file You can request that the sender rename the attachment to use a file name extension that Outlook does not recognize as a threat. For example, an executable file that has the file name extension .exe could be renamed as a Word 2010 file that has a .docx file name extension.

Ask the sender to resend the renamed attachment to you. To save the attachment and rename it to use the original file name extension, do the following:

Locate the attachment in the email message.

Right-click the attachment, and then click Copy.

Right-click the desktop, and then click Paste.

Right-click the pasted file, and then click Rename.

Rename the file to use the original file name extension, such as .exe.

Change which file types are blocked

If you use a Microsoft Exchange Server account and the Exchange Server administrator has configured the Outlook security settings, the administrator might be able to help you. Ask the administrator to adjust the security settings on your mailbox to accept attachments such as the one that Outlook blocked.